


click

by joonehunnit



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: College Student AU, M/M, changki, kihyun is a photographer, monbebe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 04:52:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16549259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joonehunnit/pseuds/joonehunnit
Summary: Click.Up on my wall you go.He didn't know who gave him the power, or why. He used it, though. He used it a lot.He went nowhere without his camera. He didn't know why. He didn't know why he needed to frame times and places on his wall.And the faces. There were so many. They peppered every wall, every surface. Framed, unframed, negatives and prints.His camera could steal people’s souls. On his walls, portraits begged for freedom.





	1. jennie

"Jennie is so dull nowadays. Remember when she was so soulful when you took that portrait of her a few years ago?"

"Kihyun? Kihyun!" the sharp crack of a dish towel against his thigh brought Kihyun back to his senses. Wincing, he rubbed at his thigh and asked, "What did you say, sorry?"

His mother rolled her eyes and acted as if to smack him one more time before turning back to the flowers she was arranging. "I said, Jennie's been really... soulless nowadays. Do you know why?"

_Yes, I do._  "No I don't, mum. I'm sure it's all the college application pressure. I've been buried in piles of paper too, I can kind of relate to her," Kihyun said, stretching like a cat and getting off the dining chair. 

"True. Yoo Kihyun you better be working hard on your college applications! I know you want to do photography and stuff but why not something useful, like science? Or maybe math..." Kihyun left the kitchen, his mother's nagging voice trailing behind him as he took the stairs two at a time and entered his first-floor bedroom. 

Jennie stared back at him.

"Holy shit, what a scare," Kihyun muttered, the sudden shock giving him hiccups. He took the portrait of Jennie off the floor and put it back on its hook in the back room. Beside Jennie's portrait hung five others, all illuminated by a steady red light that shone from the ceiling lights. A collection of portraits.

A collection of souls. 

Kihyun went back to the main room, grabbing a pile of college applications out of his bag along the way. He sat at his little desk, twirling a pencil and shuffling through the papers. So many options, but really he only had one choice. There was one place that would take him away from the stifling walls of his home and the city he'd been cloistered in for all 18 years of his life- the Royal School of Photography.

And that was the hardest to get into- of course Kihyun didn't have the best luck.

By this time, said boy's mind had already flitted to a thousand different things, one hand now absent-mindedly twirling a strand of his wavy, ash grey hair. His mother had a fit when she'd seen the colour he chose to dye his hair, ranting that Kihyun had enough and more time to grow grey hair and that if he'd desperately wanted some then she could have given a few that grew on her "damn head after I had you."

An abnormally loud  _hic_  brought him back to the present, and his phone rang almost immediately after. Quickly gulping down some water, he swiped on his phone, allowing a heavy voice to boom on speaker, "Ki." 

"Sup Shownu hyung," Kihyun replied, settling back into his chair with his laptop browser open to the RSP's homepage in case his mother walked in, which she tended to do.

"So my brother's friend is getting married and their photographer cancelled last minute," Shownu said. "Think you could fill in for him? It's a good gig, you'll get paid the same amount that the other guy was supposed to get."

Kihyun was about to say a flat no when Shownu added, "Plus you can use the photos for your RSP portfolio. They'll transfer copyright."

Now Kihyun was seriously considering it. He was aiming for a scholarship so the added photos for his portfolio would help- and so would the extra cash. 

"I'll do it," he announced. "When is the event?" "Today." "What?" 

"Actually, in an hour."

"Shownu hyung you really have the worst timing," Kihyun groaned, getting to his feet quickly and shuffling to the closet. "How appropriately should I be dressed?"

"Very appropriately," Shownu answered. "These guys are hotshots."

"Alright then, I'm off to get changed and do my hair and all those things I don't actually have time for," Kihyun fake grumbled, smiling slightly as he heard Shownu chuckle. He really was a good friend. 

In half an hour, Kihyun was dressed in all black, with a nice silver chain around his neck and one hooked to his precious memory card holder in his pocket. His ashy hair was all styled up and concealer hid the horrendous dark circles that all the studying had gifted him.

When done, he pressed a side panel in his closet and it slid to the side, revealing his precious camera gear. The panel was configured to recognise only his handprint, thanks to his tech-savvy but terribly geeky friend Hyungwon. His hand hovered over his Leica D Lux 109, then the Canon 5d Mark III, then finally his Leica M6 Rangefinder. 

He picked his Canon, placing it carefully into his camera bag with all his extra lens. The D Lux 109 was his touristy camera, and the M6 was out of the question- he didn't need to collect souls today.

He walked out of the house to hail a cab as the panel slid forward, hiding the cameras from plain sight. 

\--


	2. wedding

Shownu hyung was right, Kihyun thought as he stepped out of his taxi - these people really were big shots.

 

Fake Grecian pillars lined the red carpet that led to the main venue, and people were milling about in their finest clothes, expensive jewellery reflecting the lights that decorated every inch of the huge garden that the wedding was being held in. 

Kihyun took a few tester shots to get the settings right before he headed down the red carpet and nodded awkwardly to people. He realised he had no idea what Shownu's friend looked like and was about to curse at himself when he saw a man in an expensive emerald green suit jacket greeting people as they walked in- this had to be the guy.

Kihyun smiled back when the guy turned his high-wattage smile on him, earring swinging, and said, "Hey are you Shownu's-Son Hyunwoo's- friend? I'm Kihyun, the photographer."

The guy nodded in relief, half-yelling a "hey nice to meet you!" before leading Kihyun off to the side of the massive altar, guiding hand gently resting on the latter's shoulder. 

"Lord it's quieter here, thank fuck," the guy said, cursing easily. He held out a hand. "I'm Lee Jooheon, Shownu's friend and godzilla groom Taemin's brother. Shownu's told me you're really good with the camera."  _That's an understatement, Kihyun thought._  "We don't want any staged photos to be honest- the more candid, the better. You do what you have to do, and come find me if you need anything," Jooheon said, smiling and turning away to head back to the crowd. 

"And avoid the group of girls on the far left," he threw over his shoulder, "they'll hound you for Instagram photos and you're way above that!"

Kihyun chuckled, really liking this Jooheon dude. He made his way to the main venue, camera hoisted to eye level and ready to take some shots.

From there it was face upon face upon face until, 3 hours later, an exhausted Kihyun took out the second 8GB SD card he'd filled and decided to call it a night. 

The crowds had dwindled too- only some 20 odd people were left, and Kihyun had no trouble spotting Shownu and Jooheon, who looked exhausted but relieved that everything had gone well in the end. 

He was waved over by the two, and Jooheon swung a friendly arm around his shoulders, saying to the others in the group, "This guy saved the day after that other photographer we hired cancelled on us last minute. He's Kihyun," Jooheon said, gesturing at the smaller boy, and then motioned to the others one by one, "that's Minhyuk, that's Hoseok, that's Shownu as you know and that's Changkyun." 

As their names were called a lanky blond, a bulky brunette and another short brunette with a heck of a nose and a manbun waved a greeting. 

"Right Kihyun, I know you need to get paid. Can you explain the specifics to Changkyun here and he'll help you out? I've got to go deal with the caterers," Jooheon said, running his hand briefly through his styled brown hair before heading off to find the head chef who was throwing a bitch fit somwhere. 

Kihyun nodded, then looked at Manbun, who smiled easily and said, "Kihyun right? Nice to meet you. Why don't we grab a drink and sit down to work out the moolah?"

They headed to the almost empty bar, but Changkyun quickly crawled underneath and pulled out two bottles of soju and rum, grinning at Kihyun before gesturing at the bottles, "which one?"

"Rum and Coke please," said Kihyun, accepting the drink and gladly getting off his tired feet and onto a bar stool. Changkyun poured himself a glass of rum as well - neat- and sat next to the older, suit jacket slightly open at the neck to reveal a chunky necklace with the initials "I.M".

"Nice necklace," Kihyun said, taking a sip of his drink- perfectly made, he had to admit. 

"Cheers, it took me a heck of a while to get made. IM is a nickname of sorts, I think 'Changkyun' is quite a mouthful," the younger replied, pouting slightly as he looked down at his necklace. 

"Do you need to be anywhere or are you good to chill for a while? You must be tired," Changkyun added, as an afterthought. Kihyun was, but he nodded because he was strangely curious about this younger boy.

"I'm okay. How long have you known Shownu and the others?" Kihyun asked, getting as comfy as he could on the bar stool. 

"About six months I think- I met him while I was hunting for college applications and it turns out he knew Jooheon too, who's a childhood friend.

Kihyun was surprised. "Wait you're going to college soon? So am I! I thought you were younger than me...?" he trailed off doubtfully.

Changkyun grinned impishly. "Yeah, I must be. You're turning 19 right?" Kihyun nodded. "And I just turned 18, so you're a few months older... hyung."

Kihyun chuckled. It felt strange being called hyung- he was usually the one calling others Hyung. "You can stick to Kihyun or Ki, hyung is a tad weird."

"Okay, Kihyun. It's a pretty name anyway," Changkyun said, and Kihyun half-choked on his drink but luckily the younger didn't notice.  _That was smooth._

He quickly grasped around for a topic to defuse the situation. "Wait you said college. Where are you applying? Do you know what you want to do?"

Changkyun nodded, pulling up his jacket sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a robotic hand circling his wrist. "Artificial intelligence and machine learning," he said. "It's the future and I want in."

Kihyun was impressed. "Wow, that's really specific. Where's the best undergrad course for that?"

"Royal School of Machine Learning."

"What? No way!" At this point, Kihyun was fully grinning. "I'm trying to apply to Royal's too. Well, for photography."

Changkyun's easy smile came back. "What're the odds. Next, we'll find out we're roommates, will we?" Kihyun laughed. 

The two sat silently for a while, savouring the last of their drinks. Suddenly Changkyun sat up. "Dang I completely forgot about your payment, Jooheon will skin me alive." He pulled out an elegant chequebook, flipping to an empty leaf and looking expectantly at Kihyun with a Swarovski pen in hand. 

 "Err, right. Um... you can pay me $250 now, and the other half after I choose and edit the photos to send back to Jooheon?" 

Changkyun nodded, writing the amount in loopy letters on the cheque leaf. "And I address it to Kihyun..." "Yoo. Yoo Kihyun." 

Signing his name with a flourish, Changkyun ripped out the cheque and handed it to the older. "Alright then Yoo Kihyun. Here's your money, you should probably get going now while I hunt Jooheon down and tell him the deed has been done."

Kihyun laughed. "You do that, I'll leave now. Can you give me Jooheon's number so I can call him when I'm done?" The younger nodded, typing Jooheon's number into Kihyun's phone. At the last second, he opened a 'new contact' screen and punched in his own number too. "If you ever want to, you know, hang out and talk about Royal's or something," he said, handing the phone back.

Kihyun was slightly taken aback by the younger's forwardness, but that didn't mean he didn't like it. "I'll text. Cheers for the drink," he said, sliding off the bar stool and picking up his gear to leave.

Waving at Changkyun, he walked towards the main entrance, hollering "bye hyung!" to Shownu and waving at the others he'd been introduced to earlier. Jooheon was nowhere to be seen so Kihyun decided he'd text him later to thank him for the gig and the payment. 

Since he'd earned a good amount of money, the ash-haired boy hailed a taxi and got in, happy that he didn't have to lug all his equipment back home on the bus at 11 PM. 

He reached his house, a small Dutch Colonial with a wide courtyard designed by his mother. He loved living here, but it was suffocating at times- mostly when his mother was at home. 

He entered the front door as quietly as possible, slipping off his boots at the entrance and padding upstairs in socked feet. 

Dropping all his equipment back in their places, Kihyun went to wipe off his makeup, take a shower and change into comfy pyjamas.

Plonking down on the bed after, he thumbed a quick text to Jooheon thanking him and was just setting his phone aside to go to sleep when he saw the red envelope on the side table. 

He picked it up and pulled out the card inside it- thick parchment with a single name written in archaic cursive: 'Lim Jaebum'.

Kihyun stuffed the card back into the envelope and snuggled into his blanket. This Lim Jaebum's soul needed photographing- but that could wait till tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, how is this fic progressing so far? Changki is not my ulterior ship but they're definitely a ship I want to write about so all you Changki enthusiasts, tell me how I'm doing :)  
> What the boys look like:  
> Changkyun- https://goo.gl/images/av1iqY  
> Jooheon- https://goo.gl/images/tMYa8U  
> Shownu- https://goo.gl/images/9E9Nxv


	3. purple

The next morning, Kihyun went through the motions and got dressed for school.

School wasn't the only place he was going, though- he remembered the red envelope from last night and went back to his closet to grab his Leica- the M6, this time.

Lim Jaebum was waiting. 

The boy hopped onto a bus, a city one because he preferred not to ride the school bus with squealing third graders who were loaded on at each stop by equally squeaky parents.

Reaching school, he trudged to class, waving to Shownu playing ball in the distance. He thought about last night, realising he'd never asked Changkyun- or any of the other boys- where they studied. 

Their batch had three hours of maths back-to-back that day, which was bad enough as it was, but then a substitute professor came in and three hours of maths turned into three hours of whatever you wanted to do, which was more than fine by Kihyun.

When at last the lunch bell rang, the students hurtled out of the classrooms as fast as they could, but Kihyun stayed behind, waiting till everyone left the room before pulling out the red envelope and double-checking the name. By now, an address had appeared on the card- as it always did. 

Stuffing the card into his back pocket, Kihyun went into the boy's bathroom and bagged an empty stall, swapping his school uniform for a black tee and skinny jeans. He pulled a cap- a gift from Shownu- over his grey hair and walked quickly into the hallway and through the throngs of students until he reached the main gate, which was mercifully unguarded. 

He caught the next bus to Gangnam, the address given on the mysterious card and, after bagging a good seat next to the window, pulled out his phone and waited.

Almost instantly, an incoming call lit up the phone screen. "Hello, is this Yoo Kihyun's number?" 

"Yes it is, who is calling?" Kihyun asked, knowing full well who was calling.

"Uhm, my name is Lim Jaebum, I got your number off an ad that came through my mailbox a few days ago. I was looking to get a few portrait shots done for a project, is this something you can do?"

Kihyun smiled. "Sure, I can. When do you want me to swing by?"  _Today._  "Today. Right now, actually, if that's not too short notice." 

"No Mr Lim, it's not. Where do you want me to come?"  _Gangnam._  "Uuuh, Gangnam. There's a studio called 'Blue' by the big signal next to H&M. Just ring up and I'll buzz you in whenever you reach. Also you can just call me JB.”

"Will do, JB, see you in a bit." Kihyun clicked off, settling back into the seat of the almost empty bus for the 15-minute long ride.

When the bus lurched to a stop in front of the Gangnam stop, Kihyun thanked the driver and got off, making a beeline for the H&M right across the road. He found the studio almost immediately, although it was half-hidden by a massive tree.

He pressed the buzzer in front of the nondescript door and in only a few short seconds he was buzzed in. A ride to the third floor in a rickety lift brought him in front of Blue, which looked pretty plain from the outside.

Kihyun pushed the door open and was met by a broad-shouldered, mullet-haired boy who couldn't have been more than a year older than Kihyun. The other boy thrust his hand at the smaller, saying, "Hi, I'm JB. Thanks again for coming on such short notice." 

"No problem," Kihyun said, dropping his bags onto the floor and following JB into the main part of the studio. He was impressed.

"Wow, when you said studio I didn't expect this," Kihyun commented. "I thought it was a photo studio. So you produce music?"

JB grinned, shrugging slightly. "I try. I'm actually about to release my first album but I needed some better photos than the one I had so I decided to bite the bullet and hire someone.”

Kihyun laughed. "Smart decision. Right, do you have any ideas?" 

 

JB awkwardly mussed his hair, then shuffled to his keyboard and monitor set-up. "This place actually has really rad, like, purple lighting and my album will be titled "Purple" so I thought it would fit, I guess. Somewhere around here maybe?"

"That would make for a pretty portrait," Kihyun said and if JB was a little taken aback, he didn't show it. 

JB headed off to the little powder room to the side to fix his make-up, leaving Kihyun to put his gear together- there wasn't much this time, since his M6 would catch the mood lighting perfectly. 

JB came back all done up, looking very sharp, Kihyun thought.  _What a waste._

Kihyun set him up on the other side of the glass in the recording booth with a pair of headphones on. He asked JB to look back at Kihyun through the glass, a tad sultrily, and JB did so to perfection. Kihyun took a bunch of photos and JB grew confident enough to try out some more poses. 

In half an hour they were all done, and Kihyun said he could be paid after he sent the photos to JB, who gladly accepted the proposal. 

The younger headed towards the door, ready to leave, when suddenly he turned around and said: "Hey JB, if I'm not being too forward..."

"Tell me," JB said. 

"Could I take a portrait of you for my collection back home? No charge, it's just you have a really nice face," Kihyun said.

JB was a bit weirded out, but he obliged because Kihyun didn't strike him as some sort of psycho, and he was a trusting guy anyway.

He went back into the recording booth, recreating the first picture as per Kihyun's instructions.

The latter surreptitiously pressed a button on the side of his M6, and then clicked.

JB shuddered, then dropped to the floor. 

Kihyun took his time packing his camera and the rest of his things, and then turned off all the lights except the soft purple one. 

"Thank you. Sorry," Kihyun said softly to the unconscious body.

He opened the door, closed it behind him, and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry JB i love u


	4. coffee

By the time Kihyun reached home, he was exhausted.

He took the stairs two at a time as usual, letting out a loud "hi" in the general direction of his mother's bedroom, not even knowing if she was in, and finally entered his own.

After freshening up, he took his M6 and walked back down to the basement, where his precious darkroom was located. On the way, he tossed out the red envelope that was basically useless now. The deed was done.

Entering the darkroom, Kihyun felt a sense of peace and solitude he associated only with this room and these smells. Rays of red lights filtered through the warm air, highlighting the trays of developing fluid ready for him to use.

He carefully ejected the film from his M6 and set about developing it. He went through the motions almost automatically, working in complete darkness now but his mind flitted from place to place, finally deciding to rest on the boy he'd met the other day. Changkyun.

Kihyun was still curious about the boy, but he put it down to his loneliness. Apart from Shownu, Kihyun didn't have many friends. And Hyungwon was sweet but preferred the tech lab over hanging out so he wasn't really an option sometimes. Kihyun didn't have siblings either, or a father, and his mother spent most of the year abroad at architectural conferences so really, Kihyun was used to solitude and coming back to an empty house almost everyday.

Jooheon had seemed easy to talk to and so had Changkyun- Kihyun was sure the others would be just as friendly. He decided that if these two got in touch with him, which he thought was unlikely, he'd give them a fair shot. 

After some time, he pulled the film out of the wetting agent tray and peeled the film off carefully. He didn't have a film dryer, so he began clipping the film onto a clothesline he'd fixed, making sure to weigh down the other end of the film strip so it would stay taut. For now he'd finished- he still needed a day or two before Lim Jaebum's portraits got a well-made frame and a spot of pride on the wall in Kihyun's room. 

After putting all his material away and turning off the lights, Kihyun made his way back upstairs, stopping by the kitchen for a hot second to grab a Coke and some pastries out of the fridge. He hadn't eaten all day but he wasn't particularly hungry.

Slumping onto his bed, Kihyun pulled out his cellphone, texting Hyungwon to ask if anything important had happened after he'd skived off school. The reply came in 30 seconds: "Not much happened but I built this really cool device that can open doors from afar. You wanna come see?"

Kihyun groaned and tossed his phone to the side, not really in the mood for Hyungwon's excited chattering that would inevitably ensue if Kihyun went to see him. He loved his friend, but didn't want to act on it right now. 

His thoughts inevitably drifted back to the wedding, which was the single most lavish thing to have ever happened in his life. And it wasn't even his wedding- heck he hadn't even met Jooheon's brother personally. These thoughts naturally led him to Changkyun. With a jolt Kihyun realised that it was indeed he, master of all things awkward, who would have to start the conversation because Changkyun didn't have his number.

He picked up his phone again, thumb hovering over Changkyun's contact before tapping the message button next to his name. He quickly typed out "Hey this is Kihyun" and sent it off before he could rethink what he was doing. In hindsight he could've put an emoji or at the very least used decent punctuation, but the text was gone and, it appeared, had been read by Changkyun already.

 

**Changkyun:**  hey Kihyun! Long time no hear.

 

                                                                                                                                                         **Kihyun:**  haha yeah, been busy with school.

 

**Changkyun:**  anything interesting happened since our rum and coke date?    

                                                                                                                                                         **Kihyun:**  Not really, haha. Went to take a few photos for a client, though.

 

**Changkyun:**  Oh hey, that's great! Actually, I have a friend who wanted some 

photos for his new album cover. I'll send him your number yeah?

                                                                                                                                                          **Kihyun:**  sweet. thanks

**Changkyun:**  No problem! Oh btw, do you like coffee? 

                                                                                                                                                          **Kihyun:**  it's my drug. why do you ask?

**Changkyun:**  don't do drugs kidz

**Changkyun:**  wanna go get coffee in a bit? A lot can happen over coffee, you know...

 

Kihyun sat up straighter- _was this kid flirting?_

He sunk back down into his pillows at Changkyun's next text: "... like filling out application forms together, which is what I'm meant to be doing right now."

Kihyun groaned for the second time in half an hour. He had application forms to fill out too. He replied to Changkyun: "I'm in. What time and where?" "5pm? Screamin' Beans on 5th street in Hongdae."

Kihyun had heard of that place. Quickly thumbing a "sure, see you in a bit" to the younger boy, he got off his bed and went to his closet, thinking he'd probably need to get dressed now since it was already 4.30pm.

He almost went for his regular black hoodie and joggers, but something made him stop and start digging around for something... well, nicer. At last, he found a crisp white t-shirt and pulled it on along with some grey skinny ripped jeans- he'd have loved to wear shorts but his white chicken legs were something he didn't want to put on display just yet.

Impulsively, he pulled open a drawer of rarely-worn jewellery, slipping a few silver rings onto his fingers and a long necklace over the t-shirt. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair- it looked halfway decent for hair that hadn't been styled.

He grabbed his wallet, the application forms and his keys, padding down the stairs to the foyer to pull on his classic Sk8 Hi Vans and leave the house.

Deciding he didn't have much time left to reach the cafe and not wanting to make Changkyun wait, he called for a taxi and jumped in, quickly giving the driver the address and texting Changkyun "on my way!"

Kihyun settled into the backseat and looked out the window, the trees and buildings outside blurring into each other, much like the sudden butterflies in his stomach. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi you guys, hope I'm pacing this right! Thank you so much for all the love and support you're showing this story, it's very encouraging and I hope to keep you guys coming with better updates! :)


	5. barista

As the taxi pulled over to the side of the cafe, Kihyun quickly checked his hair in his phone camera, and then his breath. He didn't know why he did that.

After paying the taxi driver and thanking him, the grey-haired boy stepped through the front door of the cafe, instantly liking what he was seeing. 

It was a charming little place, with naked light bulbs hanging low over well-worn wooden tables and bar stools. There weren't many customers, which was surprising since Hongdae was the IT place for anyone with a palate for coffee- aka every sane person.

Kihyun shuffled on foot to foot, looking around a tad nervously to try and spot Changkyun. He spotted a manbun at the table near the massive windows, allowed himself a smile and a deep breath, and walked over to Changkyun.

The younger flashed Kihyun his signature easy smile, standing up to quickly bro-hug the older boy who was very awkwardly going in for a handshake.

"Hey hyu- Ki. Thanks for popping by," Changkyun said, slipping back into his seat and signalling to a server.

"No problem, I had a long day and I desperately need coffee," Kihyun replied, grabbing the menu and quickly going through it before settling on getting what he always did- a Java Chip.

They chatted amiably for a while, both giggling at a story Changkyun had to tell Kihyun about his day at school- something to do with a chemistry experiment, rotten eggs and the rest of the day off. 

"Do you come here often?" Kihyun asked, when there was a comfortable lull in their conversation.

"Yeah, I do," the younger replied, smiling at what seemed like the coffee counter, "my girlfriend is a barista here."

Kihyun choked on his drink, burying his face in tissue as his loud coughs lapsed into throat clearing while Changkyun thumped his back. 

"Nice one," Changkyun grinned. "I hope you won't cough in her face, because here she comes right now."

A lithe, black-haired girl was walking towards their table, the sweet smile on her face widening at the sight of Changkyun, who got up to give her a quick hug.

"Hey Haneul, this is Kihyun, a friend I made at Taemin's wedding the other day." Haneul waved at Kihyun, who was still in a bit of a shock but managed to wave and mumble "hey nice to meet you."

Haneul turned to Changkyun, "I've got to go back to work but I finish my shift early tonight so I'll see you for dinner, our usual spot?"

Changkyun nodded, pecking her on the cheek before she walked away, not noticing how awkward Kihyun had become. 

Changkyun sat back in his chair and sipped on his drink, still slightly smiling. 

Suddenly, he pulled out his phone and started typing. "I told my friend about you like I said," Changkyun explained, not looking up from his fingers flying across the phone screen. "I wonder why he hasn't replied yet. Jaebum's the type to reply instantly."

Kihyun registered the name faintly, but was still in shock over the fact that  _Changkyun had a girlfriend_?

Kihyun wasn't against relationships or PDA- no, he was happy for other people. Haneul and Changkyun hadn't been too overt either, probably because they were in front of Kihyun, who to Haneul was a stranger.

No, it wasn't any of that- if anything, it was hurt. And this was a strange feeling to Kihyun; he'd never felt hurt looking at two people in a relationship, but now here he was, hurting, and not over the girl, but the  _boy_.

Through all of Kihyun's solitary musings, Changkyun had been typing away furiously before finally putting the phone away and announcing, "I think he's hungover. That's why he isn't replying. Shall we get to work?"

"Work?" Kihyun asked blankly, receiving an amused look in return. "Oh right, the applications!"

"That's right, fool," Changkyun grinned, slightly brushing his leg against Kihyun's before reaching over to his bag to pull out the forms. "I didn't know if you'd bring any so I brought some forms for you since they're all the same for the initial round."

Kihyun smiled slightly in thanks, taking the proffered forms (even though he had his own) and the pen the younger gave (again, even though he had his own) and they got to work.

They were silent for a good half an hour, breaking the silence only to quip, "these questions make no sense" or to clarify a detail or slurp the last dregs of their drinks as Changkyun ordered some more. 

Slowly the awkwardness left Kihyun and he was pleased.  _That's right,_  he thought,  _it was probably just the shock, he sprung it on me._  There was still something niggling at the back of his mind, but he mentally shook himself to get himself together.

He finished filling in his forms just as Changkyun signed on his last form with a flourish, a signature that was neat at the start but had slowly dwindled into something terribly illegible at best. 

"Wh-what about roommates? Have you found someone?" Kihyun asked, a little hopefully.

Changkyun nodded. "Yeah I was going to live with Haneul in a private apartment or at least get into the same house as her at the ensuite dorms since it's co-ed."

In response to Kihyun's raised eyebrow he added, "She's applying to Royal's too. I've been filling out her applications because she's really busy. And she'll definitely get in. She's smart, that girl." he finished with a hint of pride. 

Kihyun paid no mind to his heart that was now hitting the hardwood floor. Instead he smiled, "That's so nice, to stay with someone you know."

Changkyun smiled and nodded. Then he asked, "what about you? Moving in with a partner too?"

Kihyun shook his head in response. "I was just going to wing it and see who I'll live with. I'm applying for the en suite co-ed rooms too, though." 

"Hey, maybe we'll all end up in the same dorm!" Changkyun half yelled in glee. The older boy nodded, smiling but not really feeling it. 

Kihyun's phone buzzed then, saving him from having to reply to that- frankly ludicrous- possibility. He swiped his phone unlocked and saw a text from Shownu: " _You look uncomfortable, man. Want me to get you out?_ "

Kihyun looked around and saw Shownu grinning at him through the window from across the street. " _Yes please."_  Kihyun texted back.

He liked talking to Changkyun but he'd suddenly started feeling upset and hopeful and happy all at once, and he needed to figure things out. 

His phone rang this time, and he answered the call and put it to his ear saying, "hello?" "Oh are you okay?" "Okay that's fine I'll come now." " Bye."

He looked up apologetically at Changkyun, suddenly feeling quite sorry that he had to leave the boy's company.

"Changkyun, I have to go, Shownu hyung called and he's sprained his ankle on a sidewalk in the back arse of nowhere and wants me to pick him up." He rolled his eyes too, hoping the extra drama would convince Changkyun. It did- the younger snorted.

"Yeah that sounds like something Hyung would do." He signalled for the bill, ignoring Kihyun's efforts to fight for it when it arrived and neatly pulling folded bills from his LV wallet to pay. 

"I'm not letting you pay, I called you here," the younger said, smiling at Kihyun's grumpy face. "When we do this next time, you can pay. Or not."

"Next time?" Kihyun's head shot up. 

Changkyun's confident smile turned a bit sheepish. "Yeah, I mean only if you want to because this was fun. Just, next time no applications please," he mock-groaned.

Kihyun laughed. "Okay. No forms next time. I'm going to leave now!" he said, grabbing his things off the table and waving before moving towards the front door. 

Once outside he cut a left, and then another left, and found himself face-to-face with Shownu, who was still grinning. They began walking to the bus stop, Shownu's arm slung around Kihyun's shoulder. "Who were you with? You looked so uncomfortable. Was this something Hyungwon set up?" he asked with a loud laugh.

Kihyun elbowed him, slipping from under his arm to climb the bus and said, "Not Hyungwon, but yeah something like that. Also what gives? I'm not an armchair stop resting your hand on me!!"

The bickering continued right until they reached Kihyun's house, after which Shownu head off to his own flat and Kihyun to his room.

In the cafe after Kihyun left, Changkyun slowly got to his feet, slightly pressing against his stomach which felt weird.

He felt anxious, and sort of sad, and he couldn't put his finger on what made him feel that way.

Dismissing the feelings as something Jaebum's no-replies induced, he grabbed his denim jacket and put it on, exiting the cafe to head towards his and Haneul's favourite restaurant.   

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! Also I just want to let you know that the next few updates will probably take a while because I've been swamped at work and have no energy to write when I go home :( hopefully I can put something together that actually makes sense over the weekend lol


	6. party

Kihyun didn't text Changkyun over the next few days. He wanted to, but there was something holding him back- he didn't know what it was and he didn't like it. 

Instead, he filled out all the other applications that he had pending, caught up with Hyungwon and texted Jooheon that he'd finished working on the photos and that they were ready.

Jooheon surprisingly asked him to print the photos out too, along with sending him the digital copies - Kihyun assumed he was a sentimental man and this made him like the boy that much more.

The other boy also texted Kihyun, asking him to come grab some ramyun with the whole group, minus Changkyun, on Friday. Jooheon said Changkyun was spending the night with Haneul and Kihyun was pretty sure the slight regret in Jooheon's voice wasn't his imagination.

The week rolled by pretty quick, and soon enough Friday reared its head. Kihyun once again put effort into his outfit, knowing Jooheon and Co. were bigshots and not wanting to stand out like a sore thumb- he would anyway, but he could at least reduce the chances by dressing well. 

He decided on a black t-shirt, a few silver necklaces layered over it, a pair of (surprise surprise) ripped skinny jeans and combat boots with secret insoles. 

This time he did his hair too, styling it into an artful mess of waves like he'd done for Taemin's wedding, and sprayed on some Creed perfume.

He had just walked out of his front door when Jooheon texted that the venue had changed from the ramyun place to his house, and Kihyun was extra thankful he'd dressed up. He typed in the address into maps and realised he could just take the bus and save some money because it stopped pretty close by.

He got off the bus and onto a quiet well-lit street. Even the air smelled posh, Kihyun thought, walking towards the tiny red dot that showed Jooheon's house on the map.

He stopped in front of a massive wrought-iron gate that was supposed to be the entrance and looked up in shock. The place was incredible. 

A paved driveway as wide as a highway snaked from the main gate to a modern building with huge windows and bright white walls. Cars were parked on either side of the drive, and no ordinary ones- three Bentleys, two Rolls Royces and one Maybach, Kihyun counted under his breath as he stood in front of the gate.

He was too intimidated to go in but he had to so he pressed the button beside the gate and fidgeted in front of the camera until a voice said "Hey Kihyun! Buzzing you in. Come straight through the front door, yeah?" The gates creaked to life as if on cue, slowly but steadily opening up until a gap wide enough to fit Kihyun, and 10 other people, appeared. 

The boy walked through the gates and up the driveway- it was intimidating and the uphill climb really didn't make the house look any smaller. 

He finally reached a set of massive oak doors that were ornate but didn't look out of place against sharp white of the walls. Ringing another bell, similar to the one outside, he fidgeted once again in front of the camera. The house looked like it would need loads of caretakers, yet there wasn't a single person in sight, not even on the perfectly manicured lawns. 

A buzzing sound told him the door was open, so he gingerly pushed it open entered the lobby and took in the luxury that sprawled ahead of him. 

He had walked through the lobby into a massive living room whose walls were all glass. He could see Han River through one side of the glass, and the twinkling lights of Seoul city on the other side. Plush sofas in leather- vegan, he later learnt- formed a cozy circle in the centre of the room, facing an electronic fire that looked real.

The fourth side of the room was open and led to the modern kitchen complete with an island, a fully-equipped bar and state-of-the-art equipment.

To the side of the kitchen there was a set of glass doors leading to- and Kihyun's jaw dropped again-  _an infinity pool._

There was a boy coming through the glass doors just now, ruffling his wet hair with a towel and grinning at Kihyun, dimples on show.

"Hey man, glad you could make it," Jooheon said happily, fist-bumping Kihyun because he was too wet to give him a hug. "I know I said ramyun night, but we brought out the drinks and now it's a full-blown party. You can drop the photos on the table, I'll have my accountant send you the money."

He put one now-dry hand on Kihyun shoulder, gently steering him towards the glass doors and through them. A wooden deck separated them from the infinity pool, which looked like it opened up right into the Han River even though they were on the first floor. A few people splashed around in the pool- Kihyun recognised Shownu by his signature swimstrokes and waved happily. 

On the other end of the deck, there was a small group of people sitting around with drinks in hand, and Jooheon led Kihyun to them.

"You guys remember Kihyun from the wedding," Jooheon said, lazily gesturing at Kihyun while plopping down on a beach bed and grabbing a beer from the cooler. 

Kihyun saw Minhyuk and Hoseok from the other night and returned their beaming smiles. At once, Hoseok pulled up a chair and gestured at Kihyun to sit.

"Want anything from the cooler?" he asked. "Or you could get Minhyuk here to make something for you, he's not trained in bartending for nothing."

Said boy rolled his eyes. "Hyung, I'm here on a break from that, I really don't want to do it again until Monday arrives. I'm not even drinking, see?" He held up a Mogu Mogu bottle and Hoseok snorted, grabbing the bottle and sniffing it. "I knew it. There's vodka in this!" he announced as Minhyuk whined and grabbed at the bottle. 

Kihyun smiled, taking a Heineken can from the cooler and popping it. He wasn't of drinking age yet but he'd had his fair share of alcohol and he figured he'd be okay since everyone else in the party was older than him. 

A loud splash made everyone turn to the pool- Shownu had flung Jooheon into the water and the latter had just come up sputtering and using choice swear words to abuse the older, who was bent over double laughing. 

At the same time, a few girls walked in through the glass doors, also laughing at Jooheon. One girl held out a hand and pulled the boy out of the pool and he smiled at her. Kihyun wondered if they were together. 

The girls walked towards where they were sitting and began chatting to Hoseok and Minhyuk and Kihyun saw they were all friends.

As people got drunker, the party got louder. The photos Kihyun had taken at the wedding had been passed around and everyone was impressed at his skills. The photographer, though, was pretty buzzed and set about chatting to Hoseok and Minhyuk, telling them he was "so happy no one was doing drugs." Hoseok laughed, "None of us do drugs Kihyun. Jooheon has the money and the time and his parents are hardly ever at home, but the guy knows his limits."

Kihyun nodded tipsily. He looked over at the girls who were dancing on the other side of the deck, all drunk enough to be stumbling around. Minhyuk caught him looking and said cheekily, "Find someone you like, Kihyun?" The latter was about to respond when a voice came from behind him: "No, he won't, because Changkyun's not here."

Kihyun coloured and whipped around to see Jooheon smiling at him. The others laughed but didn't ask any questions, which Kihyun was thankful for. As they turned away, he half-hissed at Jooheon, "What was that?!"

Jooheon laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I was just teasing you, I didn't mean any harm. But Changkyun told me you guys had a great time the other day, is it true?" Kihyun relaxed a bit, and nodded. "It was nice, but I was confused and I felt weird so I left after making Shownu hyung lie for me." Immediately he slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes widening at what he had just unintentionally blurted out. 

But Jooheon only smiled, a tad cryptically. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Changkyun had fun and so did you, so why not let the chips fall where they may? He's a good person, even if he's a bit forward. He was my biggest support when I came out to my parents."

Kihyun was surprised. 'Wait by 'came out' do you mean you're... gay?" Jooheon nodded, adding a little belligerently, "is that a problem?" Kihyun quickly shook his head no. "I was just surprised because I saw you with that girl earlier." 

Jooheon nodded thoughtfully. "That's Rose, she's one of my closest friends. There's nothing between us- there was, but that got all cleared up after, you know, I told her I was gay."

He turned to Kihyun. "You have someone special? No? You have to, you're so sweet!" he pouted adorably, as if Kihyun's being single was terribly offensive to him personally.

Absent-midedly playing with his necklaces, Kihyun said, "I had a girlfriend, but we broke up a while ago. We don't talk much." And for no reason, he added, "Her name is Jennie."

Jooheon's eyes popped. 

"You're  _that_  Kihyun? The boy who was dating my sister?!"   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY a new update, I'm going slower than I'd like with this story but I do hope I'm doing okay so far!! Also @iminterstellar I this chapter answered your questions about Jennie xD  
> ALSO the description of Jooheon's house was based off of this Montauk number because daaaaamn what a house https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/listing-of-the-day-a-modern-mansion-in-montauk-7190
> 
> ALSO here's my tumblr: www.spilling-over.tumblr.com. Come send me asks there if you wanna rant about something/ gush about MX :')


	7. Pink

Kihyun was lost for words. _Jennie had a brother? No wonder Jooheon had looked so familiar._

"Ki?" Jooheon prompted. Kihyun nodded slightly. "Yeah I did date Jennie for a month but she never told me she had a brother."

Jooheon sighed, his happy mood now replaced by frustration and a bit of sadness. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. Jennie pretty much distanced herself from us. She never stayed at home- so if you've been to "her place" it was probably a flat near Silverstone High?"

Kihyun nodded yet again. He'd sobered up quite a bit by now. 

 Jooheon continued, "I haven't seen her in ages, but Changkyun did and he said she looked soulless. They were really good friends."

As if things couldn't get worse. Kihyun looked at Jooheon, little beads of sweat forming  on his forehead. He hoped the other didn't notice. "I haven't met her in ages either. We stopped talking about two weeks ago after we broke up."

" _Huh"_ was the only thing Jooheon could say in response.

Jooheon opened his mouth to say something else when a loud "hey" came from one of the boys. Kihyun looked up to the pool entrance and saw Changkyun strolling in. Even though Kihyun's heart kind of-no, definitely- stopped for a second, he couldn't keep a smile off his face. 

Apparently, the others couldn't, either. Kihyun saw Minhyuk throw a smirk his way and noticed Jooheon's eyes softening when he looked from Kihyun to Changkyun too, but he didn't mind this time. 

As usual, Changkyun's face was lit up with his easy smile, but Kihyun noticed his manbun was gone. Instead, Changkyun's hair was shorter and fell softly against his forehead, making the boy look younger and 10 times more adorable. That, and he was wearing a pink sweatshirt. He looked like a whole new person. 

Kihyun saw Changkyun's smile widen just as his eyes swept over the older, and for a moment Kihyun couldn't help but think it was because of him. 

The younger boy walked towards the tipsy Kihyun, plopping down beside him, impossibly close.

He gave Kihyun a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Did I scare you off or something that day? You never texted after our date!" he pouted. Kihyun laughed in spite of himself and said, "No, I was really busy finishing applications. Also, taking care of Shownu hyung," he tacked on, suddenly remembering his lie. 

"Oh right," Changkyun realised. "Hey Shownu hyung," he yelled in Shownu's direction. "How's your leg?" 

Shownu looked as confused as he could with swimming goggles on and then said, "Oh right! Much better now thanks. Kihyun nursed me to health." he said, looking at Kihyun hopefully and easing when the latter nodded in frantic approval. 

Looking at Changkyun from up close, Kihyun realised the boy looked tired, despite his smile and light talk. Dark circles sat under his eyes, which themselves didn't have much of their usual sparkle. "Have you been okay?" Kihyun asked carefully. Changkyun's smile flickered a notch and he looked away. "I wish I could say I was, but I've learnt not to lie to my friends," he said, looking straight at Kihyun then. The older boy ignored the skip of his heartbeat and asked what was wrong. 

Changkyun sighed. His hand unconsciously went to his hair, ruffling it in a way that was so endearing to Kihyun. "Two of my friends have stopped talking to me." Another sigh. "Me and Haneul had a fight."

Kihyun's ears pricked up- both of these were interesting news to him. "Which friends are these? Is one of them Jennie?"

Changkyun looked surprised. "Yes, but how do you know- hang on, were you the Kihyun she dated?"

Second time in 10 minutes. "Yeah, for a month. I guess she was very secretive, she hadn't even told me Jooheon was her brother," Kihyun half-shrugged.

Changkyun nodded in agreement. "We'd been friends for a good few years but she only mentioned you once. I didn't think she'd get worse, but she's really blasé about everything now. Well, she was," he corrected himself, "now she isn't talking to me so I don't know. I thought we left these tricks in elementary school," he laughed, a tad sadly.

"What about you and Haneul?" Kihyun asked. He didn't want to pry, but he also felt bad for Changkyun, who was looking very morose at this point. 

"We had an argument about college. She wanted to apply to other universities but didn't want me to apply there as well. She said we didn't need to be in the same place at the same time, all of the time..." Changkyun trailed off. He didn't understand why Haneul was behaving the way she was, because he wasn't a clingy boyfriend and tried to give her as much space as she needed without being distant.

Kihyun clearly didn't understand either. "But you've applied to Royal's together right?" Changkyun nodded. "Then what's the deal about the other universities? It's not like if one of you gets in, the other will too."

"I know!" whined Changkyun, wringing his hands. "I don't know what to do. I usually get advice from Jaebum but he's in hospital and not in a condition to speak."

Kihyun's blood went cold as he registered this comment as well as a similar one the younger boy had made at the cafe. Changkyun knew Jennie and now Jaebum? This was a coincidence Kihyun was not happy with. 

He asked carefully, "What happened to this Jaebum?"

 

"I don't know. The doctor said another friend found him collapsed in his studio- he's a producer- and had rushed him to hospital. He's in a strange coma-like state, the doc said. His eyes move around, but he can't speak or gesture or do anything else." Changkyun's voice cracked towards the end of his sentence and he buried his face in his hands. At this point, the two were alone near the pool, everyone else having moved into the house to dry off and get food- or so Jooheon had said to the others when what he actually wanted to do was give Kihyun and Changkyun some space.

Kihyun wasn't one for comforting people and he felt a little lost, so he awkwardly patted Changkyun on the back, easing when the younger boy didn't move or shake him off.

He thought back to when he'd last seen Jennie.

\---

"I don't know why you bothered getting close to me Kihyun, you're the same as everyone else!" Jennie screamed, hurling a vase at Kihyun which mercifully missed. Kihyun was incensed. "Why I bothered? Why I bothered?! I genuinely liked you! Do you know how much it hurt to find out you were sleeping around, with my best friend Hyungwon no less?"

"I don't know what's gotten into you!" Jennie yelled, but she was smiling. "CUT!" came the director's command and Kihyun turned to see the guy fuming, and his classmates howling- except Hyungwon. 

"Hyungwon? Really? The name on the script was Jinyoung and you forget it, that's fine, but the best you could come up with was Hyungwon?" Director Hyuk said, while the boys around him laughed even harder.

"I'm sorry Director, I won't make that mistake again," Kihyun apologised, grinning sheepishly and not looking at Hyungwon, who was rolling his eyes, or Jennie, who was smirking. 

"It's fine," the director said. "We're done for the day anyway. Wrap it up boys!" He made his way out of the drama studio, mentally shaking his fist at the teacher who suggested Kihyun be given a role in the school play "for participation's sake".

In small groups, the students went to pick up the equipment and props and clear the area. Jennie and Kihyun were excused since they were part of the acting team. 

The two exited the studio into a glorious evening, golden and warm, and they decided to take a stroll along Han River. Jennie's bronze hair was illuminated by the sun, gentle breeze slowly lifting strands in a lovely dance. Kihyun thought she looked beautiful. 

As they walked, Jennie chattered on about a new friend she'd made at the apartment she was staying at near Silverstone High. Kihyun paid attention while digging around in his bag, looking for a book he was supposed to give back to her. It was a novel, _The Historian_ , by an author Jennie loved, because she also loved historical fiction and horror, both of which Kihyun despised. But he took the book and he read it anyway, because he liked Jennie. Like, _like_ like.

On finding the book, he opened it to check if he'd left scraps of paper like he usually did,when a red envelope fell out and landed near Jennie's feet.

She bent to pick it up, looking at it curiously before handing it back to Kihyun, who had frozen on the spot. "Looks like a letter," she said. "Who is it from?" Kihyun shook his head. "I'm not sure what it is, honestly. Maybe it's my mum's and she left it in there or something."

Jennie stood in mock anger. "Yoo Kihyun are you cheating on me?" she half-yelled. Kihyun shook his head no. "You're the same as everyone else!" she quoted, and Kihyun laughed, but his heart wasn't in it. When Jennie turned around to look at the seagulls flying over Han River, he quickly opened the red envelope to see the now familiar card inside with it's beautiful calligraphy that formed the name Kihyun really didn't want to see there- _Kim Jennie_. 

Suddenly, the evening didn't seem as beautiful, their lives not so carefree. Kihyun despised himself at that very second- hated himself for being the chosen one, the one picked to knock people off the face of the earth like they were nothing and he was everything. It was a disgusting feeling, and he wished he'd never been chosen. If he had a penny for every time he cried because of these envelopes, he'd be rich enough to find the person who did this to him and punch them straight in their throat. 

But he knew what he had to do. He pulled out his camera, while fighting back tears, and beckoned to Jennie. 

"Here, stand to this side and look at me." She looked at him quizzically but did it anyway. "No, it's just... you look really pretty." Jennie smiled softly, eyes glowing, and said "You're too sweet, Ki." Kihyun's heart hurt. He positioned his camera, glanced around furtively to make sure no one was there, and allowed himself one last second to soak in the scene.

And then- _click._

Jennie crumpled- as they all did- and fell over. Even unconscious, she was graceful. Kihyun quickly picked her up and placed her gently over his shoulder, walking over to the bike he'd parked to the side. He had rented it from a shady dealer because it was cheaper, but that worked out even more in his favour because taking a cab right now would invite all sorts of questions and he didn't want to be caught for anything. 

After positioning Jennie on the bike with a lot of difficulty, he got on, turning around to place a helmet on her head and wrap her hands around his waist to make things look more natural.

He left her at her apartment. As far as he'd known at the time, Jennie didn't have friends coming over any time soon. She also didn't talk to her family at all, although she used the money they sent her anyway. She would be alone, Kihyun thought, until someone suddenly remembered her. He never knew what would happen to the next person he photographed- for each person, it was a different situation. Youngjae had been okay after being photographed. Yunhyeong had suddenly told everyone he was moving to Canada, and he did. Mark had keeled over and then disappeared... permanently. He didn't know what would happen to Jennie. He didn't want to know. 

\--

"It's really not that sad, Ki. You don't have to cry," a slightly amused voice broke into his reverie. 

Kihyun shook his head a little and looked up to find Changkyun smiling at him now, while offering him a scrap tissue. He touched his own cheek, surprised to find tear tracks. He had been really caught up in his memories, he thought. He smiled at Changkyun and mopped his face up. 

At the same time, their phones sounded. Kihyun's heart stopped when he saw that it was a message from Royal's. He was about to find out if he made it in. He took a deep, steadying breath and opened the text.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO FOLKS HOW HAVE YOU BEEN wow it's been terribly long, I left this baby on a ledge and only now came back to it because I think I know where I want to go with the story!! Drop some comments, couple of kudos, and tell me how you've been guys!
> 
> Come find me on instagram @digitiary and tumblr @spilling-over


	8. bike

"Dear Mr Yoo Kihyun (no.12395)

We are pleased to inform you that you have been offered a place at Royal School of Photography, batch of 2018-2021. First term begins in September 2018.

Please book your accommodation on our website, royaledutrust.edu/accommodation.

We welcome you to the Royal family."

Kihyun's head lifted slowly, then shot up the rest of the way when he saw his own joy mirrored in Changkyun's face. "Did you get the text?" "I did!" "Did you get in?" "I DID!"

Changkyun laughed in delight and quickly pulled Kihyun in for a hug, letting go before the latter could react. The younger boy was still laughing in joy, and Kihyun couldn't help but join. His future was secure for now. He was going to be a college student.

Jooheon and Minhyuk popped their heads around the glass window, looking bemused. "What's going on?" Jooheon asked. "Is it good news?"  Minhyuk added, snickering. 

Kihyun rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the smile off his face when he said, "yes. Changkyun and I both got into Royal's!"

Jooheon hooted, running to hug the two with a huge grin on his face. Minhyuk went the other way after yelling "congratulations", presumably to give everyone the news and make bets about the two. 

Changkyun seemed to be back to his normal self after the news, smiling and chatting away with Jooheon as the trio headed inside for more food. 

Kihyun was fully sober now, but the excitement hadn't worn off for him either. He grabbed a bowl of instant ramen and went to the stove, squabbling with Hoseok over the hot water.

The night went by in a blur of laughter and alcohol, and Kihyun found himself getting up, ready to head back home (although he didn't know how because it was now 3 AM and there were obviously no buses around).

He said his byes to everyone, exchanging numbers with Hoseok and Minhyuk and reminding Jooheon to pay him the next day 'or perish'. He made his way out the door and down the long driveway, puffing into his cupped hands to keep them warm from the early morning cold. 

He reached the gate and was just about to flag down a solitary taxi that he hoped wasn't being driven by an axe murderer, when a motorcycle revved up to his side, startling him.

The helmet came off, revealing Changkyun. He patted the leather behind him, saying "come, I'll drop you home. You're too drunk." Kihyun rolled his eyes. "I'm all sobered up now. Also, aren't you too drunk to be riding a motorcycle?" Changkyun scoffed at him. "Weren't you paying any attention? I didn't drink today." Kihyun thought back, realising that the younger had indeed not had a sip to drink. He half-shrugged, allowed Changkyun to place a second helmet on his head and clambered on to the back, where he faced a new crisis- _where was he supposed to keep his effing hands?_

He settled for twisting his fingers around the handle on the back, hoping that he'd still have 10 of them when he reached home. Changkyun noticed, but didn't say a word. Instead, he started the bike and rode away from the gates at a steady pace, allowing Kihyun to get comfortable before he sped up. 

They hit the highway, bright lights zooming past and blurring in with the trees on either side. It was freeing, Kihyun felt, and it was even better since he was with Changkyun, although he didn't dare say that out loud. 

"I forgot to ask, what's your address?" Changkyun yelled over the wind. "I'll direct you along the way," Kihyun replied and Changkyun nodded.

They drove on in silence for most of the way, leaving the highway and zipping through the city streets, until Changkyun braked suddenly to avoid hitting a speed bump that wasn't painted. Kihyun let out a loud yelp and slammed into the younger's sweatshirt-clad back, wrapping his arms around his waist and holding on. 

"Shit, sorry, Ki, I didn't see that," Changkyun cursed, turning around as best as he could to see if the older boy was okay. Kihyun nodded, raising his head and saying weakly, "that's okay, keep going." His head felt a bit woozy from slamming into Changkyun's back but he was okay otherwise. Changkyun revved up the engine once again and slowly crossed the speedbump before gaining speed. As he accelerated, he felt a smile play at his lips. The next speed bump was a distance away, but Kihyun hadn't let go of his waist. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my second MX fanfic, I'm going to alternate updates for this one and my other fic 'ichi-go ichi-e' which is well underway so check it out if you want to see some joohyuk action hehehe 
> 
> What Kihyun looks like in this fic: https://goo.gl/images/B8ge1Z


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